ORGANIC EL DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ORGANIC EL DEVICE

• US 20090278450A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Element Capital Commercial Company Pte. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: SONOYAMA, Takuya, KIMURA, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,604,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8428 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/852 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass

Abstract

A top emission organic EL device includes a substrate; a reflective layer formed on the substrate; a transparent first electrode formed on the reflective layer; a functional layer containing an organic light-emitting layer and formed on the transparent first electrode; a transparent second electrode formed on the functional layer; an optical length adjustment layer formed on the transparent second electrode; and a transflective layer formed on the optical length adjustment layer. In the organic EL device, an optical resonator is formed between the reflective layer and the transflective layer.

Claims

1. A top emission organic EL device comprising:

a substrate;

a reflective layer formed on the substrate;

a transparent first electrode formed on the reflective layer;

a functional layer containing an organic light-emitting layer and formed on the transparent first electrode;

a transparent second electrode formed on the functional layer;

an optical length adjustment layer formed on the transparent second electrode; and

a transflective layer formed on the optical length adjustment layer,

wherein an optical resonator is formed between the reflective layer and the transflective layer.

2. The organic EL device according to claim 1, further comprising an at least one-color filter element corresponding to an emission color, the filter element being formed on the transflective layer.

3. The organic EL device according to claim 2, further comprising a protection film having gas impermeability, the protection film being disposed between the transflective layer and the at least one-color filter element.

5. The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein the functional layer corresponding to a plurality of emission colors is formed in a plurality of pixel regions on the substrate, and the thickness of the optical length adjustment layer is adjusted in accordance with the emission colors.

6. The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein the optical length adjustment layer is composed of an optically transparent ultrafine particle or an optically transparent polymer film containing the ultrafine particle.

7. The organic EL device according to claim 6, wherein a particle size of the ultrafine particle is selected such that light undergoes Rayleigh scattering in the optical length adjustment layer.

8. The organic EL device according to claim 6, further comprising a protection film having gas impermeability, the protection film being disposed between the second electrode and the optical length adjustment layer.

9. The organic EL device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a partition wall that defines a plurality of pixel regions; and

a supporting electrode disposed on the partition wall,

wherein the second electrode is formed so as to cover the partition wall and the plurality of pixel regions; and

wherein the supporting electrode has lower sheet resistance than the second electrode.

10. An electronic apparatus comprising the organic EL device according to claim 1.

4. A bottom emission organic EL device comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a transflective layer formed on the transparent substrate;

a transparent first electrode formed on the transflective layer;

a functional layer containing an organic light-emitting layer and formed on the transparent first electrode;

a transparent second electrode formed on the functional layer;

an optical length adjustment layer formed on the transparent second electrode; and

a reflective layer formed on the optical length adjustment layer,

wherein an optical resonator is formed between the transflective layer and the reflective layer.

11. A method for manufacturing a top emission organic EL device comprising:

a reflective layer formation step of forming a reflective layer in at least one pixel region on a substrate;

a first electrode formation step of forming a transparent first electrode on the reflective layer;

a functional layer formation step of forming a functional layer containing an organic light-emitting layer on the first electrode;

a second electrode formation step of forming a transparent second electrode on the functional layer;

an optical length adjustment layer formation step of forming an optical length adjustment layer on the second electrode; and

a transflective layer formation step of forming a transflective layer on the optical length adjustment layer,

wherein, in the optical length adjustment layer formation step, the thickness of the optical length adjustment layer is adjusted such that light that is emitted from the organic light-emitting layer and passes through the transflective layer resonates with light that is emitted from the organic light-emitting layer, is reflected by the transflective layer and then the reflective layer, and passes through the transflective layer.

12. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a partition wall formation step of forming a partition wall that defines the at least one pixel region including a plurality of pixel regions on the substrate;

an ejection step of ejecting an at least one-color liquid body containing a filter element formation material to the pixel regions; and

a film formation step of forming an at least one-color filter element on the transflective layer by solidifying the ejected liquid body.

13. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a protection film formation step of forming a protection film having gas impermeability between the transflective layer and the filter element.

14. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 11,

wherein, in the functional layer formation step, the functional layer corresponding to a plurality of emission colors is formed in the at least one pixel region including a plurality of pixel regions on the substrate;

and

wherein, in the optical length adjustment layer formation step, the thickness of the optical length adjustment layer is adjusted in accordance with a wavelength of emission light in the functional layer.

15. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 11, further comprising;

a partition wall formation step of forming a partition wall that defines the at least one pixel region including a plurality of pixel regions on the substrate,

wherein the functional layer formation step includes an ejection step of ejecting a liquid body containing an organic light-emitting layer formation material to the pixel regions and a film formation step of forming the organic light-emitting layer by solidifying the ejected liquid body.

16. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a partition wall formation step of forming a partition wall that defines the at least one pixel region including a plurality of pixel regions on the substrate,

wherein the optical length adjustment layer formation step includes an ejection step of ejecting a liquid body containing an optically transparent ultrafine particle to the pixel regions and a film formation step of forming the optical length adjustment layer by solidifying the ejected liquid body.

17. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 16, further comprising:

a protection film formation step of forming a protection film having gas impermeability between the second electrode and the optical length adjustment layer.

18. The method for manufacturing the organic EL device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a supporting electrode formation step of forming a supporting electrode having lower sheet resistance than the second electrode on a partition wall,

wherein, in the second electrode formation step, the second electrode is formed so as to cover the partition wall and the at least one pixel region including a plurality of pixel regions.